On 9th December 2009 Disability Alliance, with a range of national charity partners, launched a 'manifesto' of recommendations for routes out of poverty for disabled people and their families.
Disabled people are twice as likely to live in poverty as other citizens.
Roughly a third of disabled people live in poverty across the life course - especially disabled people not accessing disability benefits.
We and our partners believe this is avoidable and unacceptable.
The manifesto's recommended routes out of poverty
Assessing disability poverty
Measure disability poverty as a unique form of poverty.
Aim to eliminate disability poverty by 2025 through a coherent strategy.
Exclude disability benefits from 'income' assessments, or include the extra costs of living that disabled people experience.
Children and families
Focus tackling 'NEET' on disabled 16 - 18 year olds.
Target disabled 18 - 25 year olds for additional support to get and retain work.
Remove lower age limit for accessing Disability Living Allowance (DLA) mobility component (currently 3 years of age) to support parents.
Overhaul carers' benefits to simplify the system and support carers to combine caring with paid work.
Older people
End the mandatory retirement age.
Implement a benefits take up campaign targeting disabled older people.
End care service charges for disabled people of all ages.
Working age adults
Implement a national benefit take up campaign, particularly for parents of children with a special educational needs statement.
Offer 'benefit prescriptions' to working age adults likely to meet DDA definition of disability, highlighting potential support (eg DLA).
Pay a revised form of DLA to all disabled people based on the level of costs associated with the impairment or health condition experienced.
Reflect inflationary rises in living costs in out of work benefits and in work income support (Tax Credits, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit).
Review the impact of the introduction of ESA on disabled people's poverty and address if reform has delivered unintended consequences.
Simplify benefits to increase take-up and avoid appeals; and provide the equivalent of ESA support to all disabled people.
Provide specialist support to disabled people to (re)enter work, including through Jobcentre Plus and an increase in the budget and promotion of Access to Work.
You can download the manifesto from the link below.
Contact
For further information please contact Neil Coyle, Disability Alliance Director of Policy at NCoyle@disabilityalliance.org or on 020 7247 8776.
Contributors
Disability Alliance is pleased to have had the support of the following organisations in developing the Manifesto: Leonard Cheshire Disability, RNIB, Carers UK, Counsel and Care, the Alliance for Inclusive Education, DebRA, Action for Blind People, Prospect, CPAG, Radar, Mencap, the National Centre for Independent Living, Sense, Action for M.E. and Get Fair.
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